While many turn to Congress in their hour of need, Pray at the Pump founder Rocky Twyman plans to cut out the middlemen by staging prayer vigils requesting that the Almighty dial down fuel prices, and he brought that message to Capitol Hill on Friday.

Twyman, a self-described veteran of the civil rights movement who resurfaced on the political radar in 2008 by supplicating for relief at filling stations across the country, is convinced our leaders need to abandon all the partisan bickering and drop to their knees more often.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5N1-djxRvsY
“We just believe that there’s a secret element in prayer that can help solve these problems,” the Rockville, Md., resident said. His goal: a White House prayer summit for jobs and discount fossil fuels.

Twyman and his flock (two acolytes joined him during his recruiting trip to the Capitol Hill Exxon) praised President Barack Obama and Congressional leaders for popping by the National Prayer Breakfast last week. But they maintain that annual grandstanding is not enough.

“We need to have a prayer vigil every day,” Twyman said.

And if prices still don’t come down?

“We really all need to walk and bicycle more because this country is too fat,” he said of his plan B.

Passers-by seemed all in favor of the third-party intercession. “I will pray for that, too,” a Senate staffer promised.

“I hope they do!” a tourist shouted when Twyman explained they were raising their voices for lower fuel costs.

Nearly everyone agreed the pain at the pump — Exxon was charging $3.95 a gallon for regular, $3.99 for plus and $4.19 for supreme during Twyman’s demonstration — must stop. Worth pointing out: This particular Exxon has higher-than-average prices, making it a frequent prop for high-price haters.

But only about one out of every 10 folks approached by the prayer activists paused to bow their heads or sign the group’s “Walking Book of Prayers” (entailing a pledge to pray at least three times a day for cheaper gas).

And what will his merry band do if it succeeds in driving down gas prices? Twyman said they pray for folks all the time, naming former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.), Aretha Franklin and Michael Jackson as previous beneficiaries.